Cures for Need
by Arones
Summary: Charlotte received three vials and a letter. Days later she was still left in the dark.


The note that had accompanied the three vials of blood stated that there was a virus in the blood and that there was a need for a cure or an immunization to be created. It also stated that she would be by in two days to look at the results. Charlotte worked furiously for three days, with little to no success and on day six or seven she was starting to worry. Helen should have been there by then. Deciding that she really couldn't put that much thought into the matter, Charlotte instead focused on the mass spectrometer and the gas chromatography that was pouring out results from the most recent test that she had run.

If she focused on that then she wouldn't be worried. At least that was what she had told herself over and over again. Yet, she still couldn't help checking her phone messages and emails in the tiny lab that the school called hers. She was bent over on the simply made metal stool that was all she had been able to afford with the research grant she had obtained two years ago from the NSF and it creaked under her weight. She really would have to replace it soon, but that would happen when it actually broke. The florescent light overhead flickered but she ignored it, knowing eventually that the janitorial staff would replace it. At least she hoped they would.

She was chewing on her lower lip; the results were not giving much in terms of answers. Checking her watch she realized that she had to set up the column that her post-doc was supposed to run. The woman had asked if Charlotte could start it to avoid a late night in the office. It was true that they had flexible hours; that she could leave and go as she pleased the majority of the time when she was only doing research and not actually teaching a class. The downfall was that they all had to make sure that timed experiments they were around, because everything was done down to the minute. She was just setting the mass spec results onto the counter when her body tensed and jumped. She had not been expecting the warm arms to slide around her middle and the breath that was on her cheek. The door to the lab was always left open when someone was inside and she assumed the owner of the body had quietly walked into the lab.

"Are those the test results?" The warm and curious tones caused her to let out the breath she had been holding tightly in her chest.

"Yeah." Charlotte reached forward for them and handed them to the Brit who was sitting back on her heels and studying the paper work. "I was expecting you days ago."

"I was held up." Helen barely glanced up at the woman and gave her a sweet smile before looking over the results again.

Sighing Charlotte moved to set up the glass and the tubing for the column. The tubing moved from the glass cylinder that held the sample down into the large beaker that was set at the bottom for the column that her post-doc needed to run. The sample was placed inside the tube and was caught by the filters as well as the already cinched shut plastic tubing. Making up the buffer she started to pour it until the top of the cylindrical column was filled. She let it drain down until the liquid hit the metal clasp and topped it off. Opening the tubing she set the drip and let it the runoff slowly start to filter into the beaker below. She was purifying and cleaning the protein so that when her post-doc went to run the next experiment the chemicals that would be added to it would be able to bond properly. It was a tedious but necessary process and she really honestly didn't mind doing it, it wasn't like she had anywhere else to be.

Sitting back on the stool she finally took in Helen's form. She was battered up once again, cuts that were small on her chin and a bruise that was forming nicely just under her eye. Her hair was pulled back in a bun that had strands falling loose and coated in blood. She was wearing a leather jacket and jeans with combat boots. "I'll say held up…by what?"

"Hmmm?" Helen's eyes lifted from the paper before her and glanced at the woman sitting on the stool. "Oh, it's nothing serious."

"Helen, you obviously got thrown around a bit. You could have a concussion."

"None sense." Helen set the paper down and stared intensely at the woman in front of her. It had been so long since she'd seen those slim lines, felt them under her hands. Her eyes snapped back to the chocolate brown ones staring curiously at her. Had she asked a question? "You haven't gotten very far."

"I haven't had a lot of time."

"We don't have time." Her voice grew harsh and Helen pushed off from the counter she had been leaning again and bent over the column that was now running. Charlotte stayed where she was and quietly sat. "What are you trying to do here?"

"Ultimately? Unfold the proteins that folded incorrectly."

"How?"

"That's a big question to answer, Helen. What is this about?"

"I might have something that could help."

"Help?"

"With unfolding the proteins." Helen tapped the side of the glass with a manicured nail, glancing over her shoulder at Charlotte.

"What?"

Helen stood up straight. Charlotte could see her mind working through the calculations and variables and left the Brit to her own thoughts. The woman was so secretive that Charlotte oft times had difficulties coming to terms with the fact that she would never know all the secrets that she possessed. Or even come anywhere close for that matter. This was the first time that Helen had contacted her from their meeting and, granted, they had left on good terms but she had never truly expected to see her again. This time it was on her turf though. They were in her lab, the bright florescent lights—the one still flickering—the black countertops, the horribly tiled floors and quiet hum of the cold room behind them.

Charlotte stood suddenly when she saw Helen waver on her feet. She set her hand on Helen's waist and watched as it took a moment for the woman to focus on her. "You need to sit down."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. The Dr of Asskicking needs a break." Charlotte gave a sweet smile and geared Helen toward the stool she had just vacated. Heavily, Helen sat with little protest.

"Really, I'm fine. I just haven't eaten recently."

"You still look like hell." Charlotte lifted Helen's chin with a finger and glanced at the small cuts on her chin. "How'd you get these?"

"Fell on a grate."

"And the eye?"

Blue eyes locked on chocolate as Helen debated whether or not to tell her. "Took a fist to the face. Not the first time."

"How long ago?"

Again, there was a quiet pause where Helen was again debating what to tell her. "An hour? Is it red?"

Charlotte shook her head. "Turning purple, and rather rapidly." The woman who was sitting nodded slightly and looked down at her hands. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"You know I can't."

"Do I?" They had a standoff with their eyes, staring each other down and waiting for the first person to speak and break the silence. Helen won. "Are you at least going to tell me about this virus you sent me?"

"Very dangerous. I even had to augment it just to send it to you."

"And the time frame? Is someone infected?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

Helen's eyes darted back and forth. "A colleague. I think I have the answer that I need. Thank you." She started to stand to leave and the wave of dizziness hit her full blast. Charlotte was once again there, her arms holding the woman up.

"You need to rest."

"I need to find…" She stopped, her voice moving from anxious anger to softer and quieter tones, confining the amount of worry she was bottling up. "I need to rest, you're right. But only for a little bit." Charlotte sat Helen back down and poured the rest of the buffer into the column. She grabbed her keys and purse and helped Helen to stand. She made sure to keep her hand around the woman's waist as they made it to her car.

Helen rested her head against the seat rest and closed her eyes knowing that they were going back to Charlotte's apartment. Charlotte was keeping a close eye on the woman, after seeing her in Mozambique she had never expected to see her so broken or beaten. She had always been able to stand on her own two feet after everything that had been dealt them on that small island.

By the time they made it to Charlotte's tiny apartment Helen was feeling much more on her feet. She was able to walk on her own from the vehicle to the living room where she sat heavily and watched as Charlotte started to fawn over her. She set a glass of water in front of the woman and watched as Helen slowly brought it to her lips. "I promise you, I'm fine."

"You really don't look it at all."

Deciding to change the subject, Helen set the glass down. "Do you have any ice? I'd like to reduce the swelling and bruising as much as possible."

"Yeah." Charlotte stood and moved from her living room to the kitchen and pulled out the ice tray. She cracked it and dumped half of the tiny cubes onto a dish cloth. Pulling the corners together she twisted them and stepped back into the view of Helen. Even with one eye mostly swollen over, the blue orbs locked on Charlotte's face and sent shivers down her body. She sat next to the brunette and gently pressed the cooling cloth to her cheek. Helen hissed slightly but reached her hand up to cover Charlotte's.

"Thank you."

Charlotte nodded and remained there for a few minutes. Her fingers brushed Helen's thigh when she decided to rise. She moved back to the kitchen and started rattling pots and pans until she had the stove burners on and everything set. She took a deep breath and moved back out to Helen sitting next to her on the couch. The Brit was watching the other woman carefully and when she leaned forward and took Charlotte's lips the scientist pulled back. It was not a move built of discomfort or fear or questioning, rather it was solely because of surprise. Once she had a minute to take it in, she slipped forward and quickly pressed her mouth against the warm lips sitting across from her. "You need to rest."

"Yeah, what are you cooking?"

"Something simple."

The soup slid down Helen's throat smoothly and she reveled in the warmth of it. The ice on her face had long since been abandoned for the food and by the time her bowl was empty she was feeling far better than she had in days. Charlotte could see it. Her movements weren't slow and tedious; they were no longer measured to preserve the most amount of energy and prevent the most amount of strain on used and worn muscles.

"That was excellent, thank you."

Charlotte nodded and finished her own bowl before setting it on the worn coffee table in front of her. She rested her fingers against Helen's warm thigh and squeezed lightly. "Feeling better?"

"Much, thank you." Helen stood and brought the bowls into the kitchen and set them into the sink. When she turned around the thin woman was standing in front of her. There was an awkward pause where nothing happened before Charlotte stepped forward and covered Helen's body with hers. She was pulling Helen's lower lip into her mouth and sucking gently, her fingers roaming over the sleek curves until she hit the hem of the jacket. Scooting her hands up slightly, she pulled the material up and touched flesh. She was ridiculously attracted to this woman, there was no doubt about it and even if she wasn't going to answer any questions that Charlotte threw her way she was perfectly ok with that so long as she stayed right where she was for longer than ten minutes.

Helen grasped the hair at the back of Charlotte's head and held on tightly when their lips locked and tongues tangled. She was drawing in deep breaths through her nose and ignoring the painfully sharp drawer handle that was being pushed into the small of her back. The warm woman against her was far more than she had expected on this trip. When she felt the buzz at her side and the full bare palm on her stomach she almost groaned. She rested her head against Charlotte's and smiled. "I need to answer it."

Charlotte nodded and let Helen slip away from her so that could answer the buzzing electronic in her pocket. Charlotte started in on the dishes while only half paying attention to the conversation that was happening in the living room.

"—put him in stasis… Yeah, Henry… I know… soon as possible. Yes I do believe… stasis Henry." The last bit was said with an air of urgency and need to end the conversation. Helen moved to stand in the entryway to the kitchen, leaning against the wall and staring at Charlotte who was still completing her mundane task. "I have to go."

"I figured as much." She moved and wiped her hands on the towel that was resting on the cabinet door just under the sink. "Are you ever going to answer any of the questions that I have?"

"Yeah, eventually." Helen took a step forward and pressed lips against Charlotte's once again. "Do you want to know?"

"Yes."

"Do you have the weekend?" Charlotte shook her head. "Well maybe next time then."

"Will there be a next time?" There was no answer as once again Charlotte's lips were consumed by Helen's. She was being pushed against the refrigerator and there were hot hands travelling over her body enticing her. When Helen heard the noise behind her she stopped and stepped back.

"Of course." She stepped into the living room and Charlotte watched as a very bald and pale and extremely tall man stood in her living room with a glint in his eye and a smirk on his lips. Helen smiled at him lightly and grasped his hand before they disappeared into a pink and red light that left a singed and ozone smell behind. She sighed and stood there for a good five minutes before moving to finish the dishes.

* * *

_A/N: So I can turn this into a series and perhaps answer some of the questions or curiosities that it certainly poses. I will only do so if there is enough interest in the story as I do have two other stories I am currently working on. So please, leave a review and tell me if you want more or if this is decent as is. ~~Arones_


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